Emily feels a strong sense of hope for the future and a confidence in herself that she attributes to living a more open and authentic life. Emily speaks of her “un-boxing” process and the positive change she has experienced, resulting in an increase of happiness, joy and peace. This positive change isn’t simply an internal experience for Emily, but something her friends and family members can see as well. Since coming out, people have often commented, “Emily, you are happier than I have ever seen you!” Still, for a while her church activity was not as regular as it had been at other times in her life. She speaks to the importance of her faith when she testifies, “Being gay does not nullify my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and having a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not nullify the fact that I’m gay–I can’t exterminate one or the other from my life.”

(The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of the producers of Far Between but are reflective of some aspects of what it means to be homosexual and Mormon today.)